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Posted by:
Matthew IyiolaLast Updated: 05/13/2025
Posted by:
Matthew IyiolaLast Updated: 05/13/2025
When people talk about learning design as a beginner, they often mix an understanding of design theory – color, typography, visual hierarchy, composition, etc, – with the skills to use specific tools like photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.
Great designers are adept at both, but often, you need to start from the theory. But don’t worry, this article contains resources that will help you learn both so you can really shine at design.
1. Canva Design School
Canva is an online graphic design tool that lets you design documents and assets without needing to be too much of a pro. Unlike tools like Photoshop, it’s used by marketers to design things like social media graphics and blog headers.
Canva’s Design School was designed to help you excel at not just using the tool, but understanding design on every level. There are courses like:
Why we like it:
If you’re not a big fan of video tutorials, Canva’s Design School helps teach you design in a way that’s much more practical. For example, in this “White Space Design” article, you’ll see how to reduce your designs so that they’re less cluttered and with each example, there’s a mini task so that you can put what you’ve learned into action.
Each tutorial also takes place in Canva, so while you’re learning about design you’re also learning how to use the tool.
2. Briefbox
Briefbox is an online platform packed with practice briefs and real-world design scenarios for creatives to sharpen their skills. We love how the site has been designed to appeal to everyone from graphic design students and self-taught freelancers, to pros brushing up on client presentation techniques.
Briefbox’s Design Course includes 96 hours of study time with tons of actual design classes, case studies, and a full community available to answer all the questions you might have.
It features modules on:
- Design fundamentals
- Brand and identity design
- Working with fonts
- UI and product design
- And so much more
Why we like it:
Briefbox is one of the few platforms where you can practice client-style briefs without the client pressure. Each prompt pushes you to think like a designer solving an actual business problem, not just making something pretty.
It’s especially valuable if you’re a designer building a portfolio from scratch. You can tailor your practice to specific skills like crafting a startup logo or designing a mobile onboarding flow.
3. Graphic design specialization on Coursera
The Graphic Design Specialization Course by CalArts is one of the most popular on Coursera, with over 400,000 learners enrolled. It’s a five-course series that walks you through the fundamentals of design, we’re talking image-making, typography, color, layout and everything else.
There’s also a capstone project and shareable certificate that you can include in your portfolio to get an early start in your design career.
Why we like it:
This is one of the most comprehensive foundations in graphic design we’ve found online. Instead of jumping straight into software, it focuses on visual thinking, creative process, and historical context—critical skills that help you design with purpose.
The progression of the course is also thoughtfully structured and by the time you’re done with your project, you’ll not only have learned what makes a design work, but also how to make it work.
4. Rachel How on YouTube
If you’re looking to get into UI/UX, and not just design, Rachel How’s YouTube channel is an excellent recourse. It is packed with practical design tutorials, career advice, and real-life workflow demos from the perspective of an actual UI/UX expert.
Unlike generic design channels that only skim the surface, Rachel’s videos focus on helping you think like a product designer—balancing user needs, design systems, and business goals.
Here are some of our favorite things about Rachel’s channel:
- Figma tutorials and walkthroughs (e.g. design systems, responsive layouts)
- UX case study breakdowns with presentation tips
- Career and portfolio advice from a working designer
- Behind-the-scenes looks at real projects and design processes
Why we like it:
Rachel’s videos do an excellent job of bridging the gap between learning design and doing design for a job. Her case study reviews are especially helpful if you're building a portfolio because she shows you what hiring managers look for and how to structure your projects with clarity and intent.
The channel also covers career-focused topics like “getting your first design job” and “how to write better UX case studies,” which are areas most tutorials skip.
5. Dribbble
dribbble (yes that’s not a typo, they really did add 3 bs) is a design community where anyone can share, or view, the work of other designers - whichever level they're at. It’s a good way to share designs and in our case, learn how to get good at design by watching other masters at work.
Why we like it:
When you’re just starting out it’s all about seeking inspiration and even imitating during practice, in order to find your own style. The great thing about Dribbble is that it hosts a lot of different styles and types of work under one roof. This helps you to find everything from web design, to print, without getting lost in the internet in between. Many designers also leave little comments about their work, so you can really depict why certain colors or styles have been chosen.
6. Adobe Illustrator for Beginners
This is Adobe’s official learning hub for Illustrator, built specifically to help beginners understand and master the basics of vector design. If you’ve never opened Illustrator before, or you opened it once and closed it because it looked intimidating, this course is the right starting point.
The tutorials are clear, bite-sized, and created by Adobe’s own team. You’re learning the essentials straight from the source, which means every tool and technique is shown using best practices.
The course offers:
- Step-by-step video tutorials for beginners
- Topics like working with shapes, color, type, and pen tool basics
- Free starter projects to help you follow along hands-on
- Guides for designing logos, icons, infographics, and illustrations
Why we like it:
The course starts slow, shows you exactly where things are, and explains why you’d use certain tools, not just how.
Another plus? You can practice along with downloadable files and guided exercises. By the end, you’ll know how to build simple but professional-looking designs using paths, type, color, and layering, without feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re aiming to add Illustrator to your skillset for branding, illustration, or even packaging design, this is one of the most reliable and approachable places to begin.
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